Prostate Cancer

Affecting some men as young as 30, prostate cancer symptoms can include difficulty urinating, or no symptoms at all.

Prostate

Prostate cancer treatment options offered at Mid Florida Cancer Centers include radiation therapy and chemotherapy.. There are several factors that you and your doctors must consider before deciding the most effective course of treatment. At Mid Florida Cancer Centers, we will work closely with you to discuss the benefits and possible side effects of each treatment option. Surgery may also be a treatment option for prostate cancer. Your oncologist talk to you about if that is an option for you. He or she will also help you find the right surgeon for your diagnosis.
Studies have indicated that both surgery and radiation therapy work equally as well in curing the cancer, but they include different risks, benefits, and side effects. Studies have indicated that both surgery and radiation therapy work equally as well in curing the cancer, but they include different risks, benefits, and side effects. Also, in cases where the cancer is localized within the prostate gland, it is typically better to monitor the cancer for some time before starting the prostate cancer treatment. Mid Florida Cancer Centers will gladly assist you to better understand your prostate cancer and move forward with the most beneficial course of treatment for you.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

As men age, it is common for their prostate gland to enlarge. Typically, this is not due to cancer, but a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. The symptoms for prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia are similar, but should be investigated by your physician. They include:

Sudden urgency to pass urine

Difficulty passing urine

Passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night

Pain when passing urine

Blood in the urine or semen

Prostate Cancer Causes

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and accounts for nearly a quarter of all cancers diagnosed in men. The following are risk factors that may contribute to the likelihood of developing prostate cancer:

Age – more than half of all cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 70

Family history – Having a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer increases your risk of developing cancer by 2 or 3 times

Ethnicity – prostate cancer is 2 or 3 time more common in African American men than white men. Asian men have a lower risk than white men.

Vasectomy – men who have had a vasectomy may have a slightly increased risk of prostate cancer. However, some studies have not shown an increased risk.

Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Treatment for prostate through radiation therapy and chemotherapy are just two procedures in which Mid Florida Cancer Centers specializes.. The most effective course of treatment for your prostate cancer depends on several factors including the size of the tumor in your prostate, how far it has grown, whether the cancer has spread, the grade of the prostate cancer, your Gleason score, results of your PSA blood test, and your age and general health.

For localized prostate cancer (cancer that is contained within the prostate) with a low risk of spreading, active monitoring is typically recommended. This is because the prostate cancer may grow so slowly that it never causes any symptoms. However, treatment for prostate cancer may cause long-term side effects, so avoiding giving treatment is sometimes preferred. If while under active monitoring physicians notice the cancer starts to develop, then treatment with surgery or radiation therapy will likely be necessary.

For more advanced or higher risk cancer, different treatments for prostate cancer are available to patients. These options include surgery to remove the prostate gland or external radiation therapy. Studies have shown that both forms of treatments work equally well. However, both treatments have different risks, benefits and side effects. Therefore, it is important you see a cancer specialist who will discuss your treatment options thoroughly with you. During this meeting, the specialist will review the benefits and side effects of the treatments and help you to decide which treatment will be best for you. Mid Florida Cancer Centers is dedicated to providing the best cancer treatment for all of its patients, and will work closely with them to help them reach the best decision regarding their treatment.